Self-refilling manometer



April' 9, 1935. F. P. sMlTH v 1,997,437

SELF REFILLING MANOMETER I Filed sept. 21, 1932 LN A ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1935 .e yl n e K 2 1.

' i n "y, 1,997,437 N u n SELF-annimmt; MAN()1i/marjan` e j I Freaerickinsmnn-Glaswaren-J. ri b Animation septcmbe`r,2`1,l132, serial 10.634.092 Y c l b '"aciaims:` (alize-.31) l e f c e n e My invention relatesfto a newfand usefullselfof said'limbs being" connected to the atmosphere, refilling manorneter` oi the. type usedby inspec` a valve forv closing the connection to the vatmostors for testingA gas pressuresjeitherat the^ prophere,a reservoir adapted to contain a supply of duction plants or in the pipe lines leading to the the indicating liquid and connected `to the bottom points of consumption and for sundry other simi-- ofsaid V.U -shaped tube through a valve, and a by- 5 lar uses. .v 4 fj e passfrom the top of they limbI of the U-shaped Manometers oi' this character heretofore known tube which is connected to the atmosphere leadingA and usedhave generallyr consisted of a U-shaped into th'e top of said reservoir.:' tube scaled to inches or other suitable units` and ...i-My invention further consists of various other 1o. `havingwater therein, the upper end-ofoneof the novel features of construction'and advantage, all 10- limbs of saidvU-shaped tube being open'to` the atas hereinafter described and claimed in connecf mosphere and the upper end of the otherof. said' `tion with the -accompanying drawing, inzwhich: limbs being adapted to be connected to the vgas V. 4Figure l represents a front elevation of amaunder pressure whereby the pressure of fthe gas nometer embodying my invention. i

15. served to depress the level ofthe indicating liquid, Figure 2 .is a side-elevation of Figure 1, parts 15 such as water` andthe like, inthe limbofthe tube e being broken away shown inl section. v y

connected to the gas pipe and correspondingly `to Figure 3] is a cross section on line 3 3 of lFigraise the level of the liquid in theother of-the ure 2. y y y w Y 1. limbs ofA said U-shaped tube, thereby indicating .Figure 4 is a cross sectionon line 4 4 of VFig.` b

`in inches or other units :of measurement thepresure 2. v b b v l 20.`

sure exerted by the gas. Due toloccasional Venf;` Figure 5 is a crossisection on line 5 5` of Figcountering oi excessive gas pressure in excess of ure 2. l the measuring range of thev manometer, ,it fre i Figure 6 is a cross section on line 6 6 of Figquently happens that the waterorvothe'r indicat ure 2. l v v. ing huid in theu-shapedltubeisbiown elearout Y .Referrngft'o the drawing. my novelmanometer 25.

' of the limb of the U-shaped tube leading tothe comprises a frontU-shapedtube having the klimbs atmosphere, thereby Vnecessitating the refilling I` and 2 .which may be graduated or which` may coof the manometer to bring the water leveltherein actlwith a scale `Sgraduated to inches vor other to the Vequalized zero` reading.y rSuch refilling pressure indicatingunitsof 'measurement `CofV `is inconvenient, in thatmthe` particular fluid emacting withrand securedto the U-shapedtubeis 30 ployed, colored or otherwise, water or the like, thetank `OrreSerVOir-A adapted to contain the may; or may not be available at the moment and indicating` liquid'employed `and Vconnectedrto the for the reason thatl the relling ofthe manometer bottom of the U-shaped tube through the inlet 5 involves dismantling of parts, as well as extreme controlled by the valve 6 whereby Water from the care. Another disadvantage of manometers of reservoir 4 may freely pass ntothe limbs l and 2 .25 this general character is resided in theifact that of the frontU-shaped tube for the purpose herethe amount of water; or other indicating liquid inafter more fully set forth. Through the reserused in the graduated U-shapedtube was neces- Voir 4 extends the pipe 1 which is controlled `by `sarily limited in its level to the zero reading unthe three-way valve 8 and which is adapted to be 40 der normal conditions thereby indirectly delimitconnected at its bottom end to the hose 9 leading 40 ing the functional range of the manometer.` to the gas line,v the pressure in which Yis to` be It is the purpose of my invention to produce a tested. The pipe 'l communicates at its .top` IiiV novel manometer whichobviates these andother withthe top of the limb 2, as seen in Figure 2, disadvantages, in that it is not llimited to any parwhereby With Dl'OPeI manipulatiOIl 0f the; valve vticular zero reading and in that it is a self-refill- 8 gas is permitted to enterthe upperjportion of Y 45 e ing manometer, thus conserving the indicating the limb 2 of the U-shaped tube to depress `the* iiuid employed and obviating the necessity'oi reindicating liquid therein an amount correspondlling resulting from the otherwise inevitable loss ing to the pressure of the gas measured in atmos-` of the indicating fluid. e i i pheric units and correspondingly to raise the indi-V v To the above ends,`my invention consists of a eating liquid in the limb l, the changein the 50l graduated U-shaped tube adapted to contain the level 0f the liquid in the limbs l and 2 from the indicating liquid, the ,upper end of one `ofthe zero reading to which the manometer is adjusted limbs of said U-shaped tubes being adapted to be before the testing operation being an indication connected to the source of gas, the pressure'of of the pressure of the gas. VThe top of the limb l` which is to be tested, and the top end of the other` is connected through the inlet I2 which is con- 55 Y so' Y v4I) trolled by the valve I3 to the top'of the reservoir 4 and through the outlet I5 and the valve I6 to the atmosphere so that with the Valves I3 and I6 opened atmospheric pressure prevails on the surface Ioi theV indicating liquid contained inv the limb I. Under these conditions the pressure of the gas exerted, on the indicating liquid-in the limb 2 depresses the level of the water. in the limb 2 and raisesV it in the limb I, but as soon as the pressure is relieved and communication to the atmosphere is established throughthe valves 8. I3 and Iii the indicating liquid in the limbs I and 2 finds its own level'and under ordinary conditions tl-1eA level of the indicating liquid in both of the limbs `I and 2 will be at zero. If it is desire'cl'to hold the reading resulting from the pressure of the gas itis necessary to shut off the valve I3 to exclude atmospheric pressure and toGleisetheV valve 8 from the source of gas and from Ythe atmosphere, where-v upon the level of the indicating liquid will be lower Vthan'zero in the l-i-mb 2 and'above zero in the limb I toan extent -ineasuredbythe pressure exerted by 'the gas. To bring the Inanometer back to zero the valve I3 isop'enedfto the vatmosphere and the valve 8 is manipulated to establish con#v nection between the vgas pipe 1 and theatmos-V phere outlet' IVI.V Under 'ordinary conditions'a manometer of the kind-heretofore'described would function. fairly satisfactorily. In actual practice, however, I have found that the pressurer of the gas exerted upon 'the surlface o'f the indicating liquid inthe limb 2 'is very frequently in eXcessof 'the measuring range to *which the conventional 1manometer is built with the result that the indicat` ing'uid, which maybe Water or amore valuable fluid, is blown out Ytl-'irouglf1'-thenecessary 'atmospheric'outlet at the top `rof the Iirnb I. This re-V sults in decreasing the amount of indicating uid so that Awhen subjected to :atmospheric pressure the level of the liquid in both of the limbs I and 2 'will not'be at 'zero :but somewhat less than the normal amount required. To obviate this disadvantage, Ihave providedrthefnovel'reservoir 4 Ywhich is connected to the top of the limb I by the inlet I2so that^wlien and'if the liquid inthe limb I is blown out 'therefrom through excessive gas pressure in the limb 2 theY indicating liquid' will pass through the connection I2 into the reservoir 4, said Vliquid being subsequently readmitted into "theU-shaped tube through manipulation of the valve 6 which controls the bottom 'inlet 5.V By this means I am enabled 'to raise thefle'v'el of theY Having thus described my invention, what I I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Y 1. A manometer comprising a reservoir adapted 'to contain a supply of indicating liquida U-gauge extraneous to and separate from said reservoir,

means for establishing communication between the top of one leg of said gauge and the top of said reservoir, a controlled liquid connection betweenfthe bottom of said reservoir and the bottom of said gauge for introducing liquid from said reservoir to Ysaid gauge, anda controlled atmosf.

phericfoutlet V"coacting with the top of said gauge and adapted to maintain vthe liquid level in'said gauge at any point to which it. may be raised-by pressure to which the liquid in said gauge is subjected. e

2. AV self-relling Y and levelling manometer comprising a vU-shaped gauge adapted to contain an vindicating liquid,- means forladmitting gas pressure tothe top ofone of the limbsrof Vsaid U'- Ashaped gauge, a controlled atmospheric'outlet at the top of the 'otherllimb of said -U -shaped gauge for maintaining the liquid level in saidgauge at any point to which it maybe raised by pressure, areservoi'r extraneous 'to and separate from said U-rshrapedgauge a bye-pass leading from the top of one-o the limbs ofsaidUl-shapedlgaugeto the top of vsaid'reservoir, and' a `by-pass `connecting the bottom'of. said U -shaped gauge to the `bottom of `said reservoir.A r

3. A vSeli-levellingl -andrefilling :nanometer comprisingY a AU shaped gaugeadapted to contain an indicating liquid, a separate reservoir adapted to vcontaina supply of saidliquidfa controlled bypa's's connecting the top of oneof` the limbrs'o'fjsaid Vlil-'shaped:gauge to the'topof saidV reservoir, Va

FREDERICK P. SMITH. 

